Wound care nursing at home
Our nurses care for wounds at home. They check and measure the wound, change dressings, care for wound vacs, and teach you and your family. Your doctor or wound clinic orders the care and the treatment plan.
Updated
Wounds our nurses care for
- Surgical incisions, including ones that opened or are slow to heal
- Pressure injuries, also called bed sores
- Diabetic foot wounds
- Wounds from poor blood flow in the legs
- Skin tears and other wounds that are slow to heal
- Ostomies
What the nurse does at each visit
- Looks at the wound and measures it, so you and your doctor can see if it is healing
- Cleans the wound and changes the dressing as your orders say
- Cares for a wound vac (negative pressure wound therapy) and changes its dressing
- Checks for signs of infection
- Asks about pain and talks with your doctor about pain control
- Looks at things that slow healing, like pressure on the skin, blood sugar, and eating
- Updates your doctor or wound clinic
- Teaches you or your family the care to do between visits, if your plan includes it
How visits work
Your doctor’s orders set how often a nurse comes. Some wounds need a visit a few times a week. Others need fewer. Wound vac dressings are often changed a few times a week.
The first visit is longer. The nurse looks at the wound, your health, your medicines, and your home. Then the nurse makes a care plan with you and your doctor.
Ask us which supplies we bring and which come from a medical supply company. Wound vac pumps usually come from a medical equipment company.
Your part between visits
- Keep the dressing clean and dry, and leave it in place unless the nurse tells you otherwise.
- Ask the nurse before you shower or bathe.
- Keep the wound vac on as ordered. Keep the number your care team gave you next to it.
- Change position often if you sit or lie down a lot. Ask the nurse how.
- Write down questions and changes you notice for the next visit.
When to call
Call your care team if…
- More redness, warmth, swelling, or pain around the wound
- Drainage that increases, changes color, or smells bad
- A fever over 101°F (38.3°C)
- The dressing comes off or the wound vac alarms and you cannot fix it
Use the number your care team gave you, or call us at 214-440-1394 (Texas), 303-597-0505 (Colorado), 248-607-6698 (Michigan), or 702-450-1855 (Nevada).
Call 911 if…
- Heavy bleeding that does not stop with pressure
- Confusion, very fast breathing, or feeling very ill with a fever
Do not wait to call your care team first.
Wound care and other services
Many people with a wound get other care at the same time. A therapist can help you move while you heal. If you also need IV antibiotics, our nurses give infusion therapy at home.
What it costs
With Original Medicare, you pay $0 for covered home health visits. You must be homebound and need part-time skilled care, and your doctor must order it. Medical equipment, like a walker, costs 20% after your Part B deductible. Source: Medicare.gov.
Medicare Advantage and other health plans cover home health too. They may need to approve care before it starts, or ask you to use an agency in their network. They may charge a copay.
We check your coverage before care starts. See the plans we accept and does Medicare cover home health care?
When wound care ends
Wound care at home ends when the wound heals, or when it is stable and you or your family can care for it. It can also end if you are no longer homebound. Then you may go to a wound clinic.
You will get a written notice before Medicare-covered care ends. If the wound gets worse later, your doctor can order care again.
How to start
- Ask your doctor if home health is right for you. In the hospital, ask the discharge planner.
- Tell them you want Adaptive Home Health. The choice of agency is yours.
- Your doctor sends us an order. We check your coverage and call you to set up the first visit.
We offer this care in Texas (Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Central Texas), Colorado (Denver), Michigan (Detroit), and Nevada (Las Vegas). Questions? Call us at 214-440-1394 (Texas), 303-597-0505 (Colorado), 248-607-6698 (Michigan), or 702-450-1855 (Nevada).
Wound clinics and doctors: tell us where the wound is, its size and type, and the wound care orders. See what’s in a complete referral.
Related pages
Questions? Call us.
We can answer questions about home health, Medicare, and your insurance, before or during care.
General information, not medical advice. Follow your care team’s instructions. Our sources.